Sesshomaru's Off Day Dinners by kaoruhana
The First Dinner
Kagome hated cooking- she really wasn’t the biggest fan of it so it was no wonder that when Sango invited her over to a friend’s mutual dinner party as a guest she latched on to it. The young raven haired woman was never one to refuse an offer of free food and she was known among her friends as the one who always knew of food festivals or restaurant deals. She liked food- in fact she loved it and was an avid food lover and critic but the mere thought of cooking on a stove managed to make her cringe. No one understood where her aversion to cooking came from, her mother was a brilliant cook, her brother was an aspiring chef in Osaka, and her father had owned a bakery. One would think that she of all people would follow in their footsteps. But she hadn’t; instead Kagome had been drawn to journalism. She worked for a local magazine as the women’s fashion editor/ journalist. It was a small company but was read by enough people to make it a decent job and was endorsed by some of the leading celebrities. In fact, one of the leading actresses in Japan had even admitted that she read Kagome’s column every week to see if her wardrobe matched the street fashion Kagome talked about. As a result, Kagome was paid quite handsomely since her company could afford it, and she lived a comfortable life in Tokyo. However, today, she was not the confident woman she had been earlier at her job. As she looked at the closet in front of her, she worried her bottom lip trying to pair outfits together until she pulled out two that suited her tastes.
Sango’s friend- the friend whose dinner she had been invited to- was apparently a good cook who worked in a restaurant in the Roppongi Hills area. This meant that he wasn’t just good, he was really really good. Real estate in that area came not only with a hefty price tag but with a hefty expectation as well. So, on this particular Monday night as Kagome got ready to go to dinner she suddenly found herself facing a dilemma. When she got there what would she do? Should she bring something to dinner? Was Sango’s friend okay with her being a dinner guest? She pulled out a loose flowing teal tunic and slipped it on before pulling a muted gray scarf and slipping it around her neck; straight leg black jeans and silver flats topped off the ensemble. Taking a look at her reflection in the mirror she did a double-check of her outfit. The dull colors- a true testament of what to wear in the winter- were warmed by the touch of silver and teal. A pair of silver leaf earrings added a touch of exotic and color which was just enough to make a good presentation. Her outfit looked dressy while still managing to add a touch of casual. Pleased, she picked up her phone and scanned through the text messages until she saw the one Sango had given her. Her friend wanted Kagome to meet her at the Asaka Line interchange in twenty minutes so that the two of them could then walk to dinner together. Grabbing her coat and bag of essentials- extra everything from make-up to bandaids to hair ties- Kagome locked her door and headed out to catch the subway train that would take her to Sango.
Twenty minutes later Kagome stood close to wall of the Asaka Line Interchanges’ Platform trying to spot the familiar face of her friend. She had her phone in hand just in case she couldn’t find Sango as well. A train rushed by and people milled out but Kagome continued to look towards the crowd. Finally, she spotted her friend a little ways down looking in the opposite direction from where she was standing. Texting her quickly she waited until Sango saw her and then waved. Soon, both friends were finally reunited.
“Kagome!” Sango greeted. “How has your day been?”
“The same as usual. I really wish Aya Kinomoto would stop endorsing me. If I didn’t use a pen name I’m sure I’d be stalked!” Sango laughed but shook her head leading her out the station and onto the street. She guided them to the right before speaking again.
“Do you mind if we stop at a liquor shop nearby? Sesshomaru asked me to bring wine though I’m not sure what kind he wants me to bring.” Kagome knew what her friend was implying. Coming from a family of chefs and cooking experts she knew quite a bit about how to pair foods and drinks. So she understood that Sango’s statement was more a request: she wanted Kagome to suggest a wine for dinner.
“What is he making?” She asked casually as Sango turned into a store. Judging by the reception Sango received this wasn’t her friends first time in the liquor store.
“He’s making salmon filets and an arugula endive salad. He said not to bother with the dessert wine because he has it covered so that just leaves you two dishes to pair up.” Normally, Kagome was frugal- she bought one bottle of wine and used it for most of a dinner. However, in this case, she knew that only five people were coming to dinner and that Sesshomaru was a renowned chef. As a result, she supposed two wines that were light, airy, and paired well with the food worked.
“Get an Australian Sauvignon Blanc for the salad-if you can’t find an Australian version, let’s just stick to the French. And grab a Chardonnay for the salmon- try the California kind first- it has a citrusy taste that would pair well with the dish. If there’s no California one, try the Candian one.”
“I’ll grab the Chardonany- you take the Sauvingon?” Kagome nodded and the two women bought the wine quickly before heading back out towards their dinner outing.
Sango led them five blocks down to a modest middle-class apartment building. It had a doorman who bid them hello which intrigued Kagome. She didn’t hear much of doorman’s still in buildings but she thought the idea of one was still interesting. She followed Sango as they took the elevator to the eighth floor and got out before turning right down a corridor and knocking on the door to the second apartment on the right. It opened moments later to reveal a handsome young man who eagerly let them in.
“Sango my dear, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” The man was wearing a deep purple shirt over jeans and had black hair that was looped off in a tiny ponytail. She noticed walking in that this man wasn’t the one cooking- there was someone else in the kitchen who she heard. And she also quickly learned that the fifth dinner guest was not at all someone she suspected- a teenager who was sitting on the sofa and idly entertaining herself with her phone. Sango’s voice brought Kagome’s attention back to the man she was being introduced to.
“Miroku,” Sango greeted, “How are you? Let me introduce you to my friend Kagome.” Sango pulled Kagome forward and Miroku gave her a disarming smile as he kissed her hand softly.
“Nice to meet you Kagome. If I wasn’t already smitten over your friend I would find myself chasing you.” Kagome shook her head with a laugh. Miroku it seemed was the lecher who worked with Sango and had introduced her to the cooking friend. Shaking her head, she took her hand back and decided to entertain herself with the girl on the sofa while the two caught up and flirted. . Kagome had to admit that she found the plight of the girl understandable- her brother had probably kicked her out of the kitchen much like her own brother did to her when he was using her kitchen to cook.
“Hello,” she introduced, “I’m Kagome.” The girl in question looked up from her phone and debated for a moment about whether to answer her or not.
“Hi, I’m Rin. Are you one of the dinner guests?”
“Not really,” Kagome stated relaxing into the seat, “Sango brought me over today. She said I needed to get out more. And you- I’m assuming you must be the cook’s sister?” Rin’s eyes widened comically but then the teenager narrowed her eyes.
“How did you know that?” She asked pulling out her phone again when it indicated that she had just received a new text message.
“My brother Souta is a professional chef as well. Anytime I visit him, or he visits me, I end up being kicked out of the kitchen all the time. You made the same face I do when I’m bored because of that.” Rin giggled as she heard what Kagome said. She was glad to have a commonality between herself and this nice female who had come to her brother’s dinners.
“What kind of restaurant does your brother own?” Rin asked casually.
“One that specializes in Osaka cuisine- Okonomiyaki, Yakitori, etc.” Rin nodded and Miroku and Sango who finally tuned in were amazed at the level of friendliness between the two females in such a short amount of time. A sudden clearing of the throat sounded and all four from the living room turned to see the source of the noise- the cook himself.
Kagome had to admit that after seeing Rin she was quite surprised to see the man standing by the entrance to the dining room. Unlike Rin’s black hair, this man’s was white- a silvery hue that looked quite soft. He was tall in stature and lean indicating that this man worked out and ate well on a regular basis. She wasn’t too surprised by this, after all he was a chef and he knew how to make good yet healthy balanced meals. She liked his choice of attire as well- a crisp dress shirt that was black and a pair of pants that matched it. She normally wasn’t that big on matching colors but had to admit that it looked right on the man with his pale skin and silvery-white hair.
“Ah and the cook finally arrives.” Miroku began taking the bag Sango had given him earlier. “This Sesshomaru is the selection of the wines that the lovely ladies picked out for this evening. What do you think Sesshomaru?” Sesshomaru took the bag from his friends fingers cursing him silently for not having put them in a cooler earlier. He eyed an Australian Sauvignon and a California Chardonnay. Sango had made a great selection Sesshomaru thought taking note of the bottles and how it would complement the dinner he had made.
“Sango you made lovely wine choices for this meal.” He remarked examining the Sauvignon before he uncorked it. Sango laughed as she replied.
“It wasn’t me- Kagome made the choices- she’s quite the wine connoisseur.” Sesshomaru tipped his head to Kagome’s in acknowledgment.
“Excellent choices then Kagome. Perhaps you will just have to keep making choices like this for future dinners.” With that said, he turned back to the dining room and everyone followed.
Rin followed her brother into the kitchen and feeling awkward Kagome followed as well. The two girls were given plates and glasses which they took out. Miroku in the meantime worked on uncorking the Sauvignon after getting confirmation from Sesshomaru that this was to be the first wine course for dinner. Sango monitored him and made sure that he didn’t pour any wine for Rin since the girl was underage. Soon after Sesshomaru brought the first course out and dinner began.
Kagome found dinner to be fun and entertaining. Sesshomaru and Miroku were apparently cousins through their mothers and the two had been quite close growing up. One day, Miroku had asked Sesshomaru if he could bring the girl he was befriending to dinner and the weekly meals had expanded. Now, almost four months after the first meal Sango had been invited to, Kagome was invited and the party grew even more. Rin was apparently an occasional guest. She lived with her parents but would during the week spend the night at her brothers since it was in a location closer to her high school. Kagome learned more about the host himself as well.
Sesshomaru’s restaurant specialized in vegetarian and seafood cuisine- nothing beyond those were allowed in his restaurant kitchen. The restaurant was called Périgord and was named after Sesshomaru’s favorite ingredient- the black truffle named Périgord from France. As the dinner wore on, he grew more in Kagome’s eyes. He not only owned a lovely restaurant but cooked heavenly food and took in his teenage sister just because he could. She really couldn’t say more and wondered not for the first time that night if Sango was trying to set her up with him. So far the man fit her type- he was caring, he knew good food, he seemed to be nice, and he dressed well. There was something to be said about that. Nonetheless she decided to brush it off and instead focused on dessert which she promptly decided was the best choice she’d ever made.
Dessert was a rich creamy vanilla bean rice pudding. The pudding was brown in color and was made of milk and sugar coupled with ground cardamom. The taste was divine. Kagome quickly realized that Sesshomaru had not used the vanilla bean in the final dish but rather had used it in the cooking process since the rich creamy taste was still there but it didn’t overpower the tastebuds. She told him so and he was pleased if the slight upturn of his lips said anything.
“You are very astute Kagome. May I ask how you know so much about the culinary world when you are a fashion reporter?” Kagome flushed under the scrutiny she received but she answered nonetheless.
“My brother is a chef in Osaka- he owns the Hanshin Republic.” (1) Sesshomaru appraised this with a nod of his head. Kagome’s brother was quite popular since he was known to be one of the foremost specialists in Osakan cuisine. “My father owned a bakery when I was growing up and my mother has all the makings of a culinary chef because of the years she spent honing her family recipes.”
“I see, Souta Higurashi is your brother then. I highly respect him for the tradition he continues to uphold and popularize.” Kagome nodded taking his praise in. She’d learned from Rin that the chef at the table was very particular about his cooking and that he rarely complimented other chefs unless they held up to his tastes. So for her brother to be recognized she knew it was important.
“Thank you, I’ll be sure to pass on the compliments to my brother.” Sesshomaru nodded slowly.
“See that you do Kagome.”
When Kagome left dinner a little over an hour later it was with Miroku and Sango in tow. Miroku had offered to drive the two girls home because of the convenience of it all. When he assured them that it would not be a bother the two females agreed to go along with him. It was as Kagome was pulling on her jacket that Sesshomaru caught her attention.
“I would be pleased to extend you an invitation to next week’s dinner if you are inclined to accept it.” Kagome blinked up at him but then let out a slow smile.
“Then you will be happy to hear that I am most pleased to accept it.”
* * * * *
A/N: Prompt- Vanilla
(1) I do not own Inuyasha. I am also not affiliated with CLAMP and their story: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles.